"In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat the Elvenking on a chair of carven wood. On his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for the autumn was come again. In the spring he wore a crown of woodland flowers. In his hand he held a carven staff of oak."

In S.A.3434 Thranduil followed his father, and some thirty thousand lightly armed Elves in the War of the Last Alliance. In the Battle of Dagorlad Oropher was slain with the greater part of his people but his son survived. After the Siege of Barad-dûr in S.A.3441 when Sauron was defeated, Thranduil led the remainder of his people north back to the Woodland Realm, where he was crowned king.

Third Age

With the return of Sauron around T.A.1050 southern Greenwood became dangerous and was renamed Mirkwood. Creatures like great spiders came to dwell in Mirkwood and Thranduil's folk retreated to the northeastern corner of Mirkwood, where they fortified themselves near the Forest River and established the Elvenking's Halls.

One day in T.A.2941 Thranduil and some of his folk were feasting in the woods when they were repeatedly disturbed by a party of Dwarves. After the third disturbance the Elves captured them. Thorin their leader, was brought before Thranduil but did not reveal the reason for their journey through Mirkwood. However Thranduil's prisoners escaped with the help of a Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who escaped captivity by using his magic ring.

Battle of Five Armies

After the Dwarves' escape Thranduil sent out messengers, who soon told him about the death of the DragonSmaug, who had brutalized the Elves for years. He knew about the treasures Smaug had hoarded and set out towards the Lonely Mountain with a company of Elves. On the way they met messengers from Bard in Lake-town who was seeking aid for his destroyed town. Both Thranduil and Bard led their forces towards the Lonely Mountain and were very surprised when they found out that the Dwarves not only survived Smaug's attacks, but had taken possession of the Mountain and its treasures; the King under the Mountain had returned.

The Arkenstone by Ted Nasmith

As Thorin refused to give away parts of the treasure for Dale and Lake-town, Thranduil and Bard sieged the mountain. After a few days, a Dwarvish host led by Dáin II Ironfoot approached to support Thorin. But in the night Bilbo came before Thranduil and Bard bringing the Arkenstone, a great jewel that Thorin valued above all, in order to make Thorin open to negotiations. Thranduil was favourably impressed by Bilbo and urged him to remain in order to avoid Thorin's wrath. The next morning Bard and Thranduil entered into negotiations with an angered Thorin, who agreed to pay 1/14 share of the treasure in exchange for the stone. Thranduil was reluctant to start a war over gold, but the next day the forces of Dain arrived and the dwarves proceeded to attack.

The Battle of Five Armies by Capucine Mazille

At that moment, the Orcs of the Misty Mountains and Grey Mountains under Bolg were using the opportunity to march after the hoard. The three commanders agreed that the Orcs were the enemies of all. So the Battle of Five Armies began. Thranduil's host was positioned on the southern side of the Mountain, and they were the first to charge. Many Elves were slain and things looked grim when the Eagles arrived on the battlefield. They turned the tide and the battle was won.

Thorin died soon after the battle. Thranduil laid Orcrist on Thorin's tomb, where it was said to glow in warning when foes approached.

The victors divided the treasure and Bard gave Thranduil the emeralds of Girion. When Bilbo and Gandalf bid farewell to Thranduil Bilbo gave him a necklace of silver and pearls. Thranduil gave the hobbit the title "Elf-friend" and returned with the remainder of his host to his realm in Mirkwood.

War of the Ring

On March 21, T.A.3018Aragorn delivered Gollum as a prisoner to Thranduil but in June he escaped. Thranduil sent his son Legolas to Rivendell to inform Elrond, and in the Council of Elrond Legolas was selected as one of the nine members of the Company of the Ring.[2] Another member of the Company was the Dwarf Gimli, the son of Glóin of Thorin's band who were imprisoned by Thranduil. The unprecedented friendship between Elf and Dwarf helped to reconcile Thranduil's people and the Dwarves.

Thranduil had cleared all the orcs and foul beings from North Mirkwood, so that the forest was cleansed and Sauron's forces in the North were destroyed. Because the Shadow over Mirkwood was lifted, Thranduil received the northern part of the Eryn Lasgalen (as Mirkwood was now called) as far as the Mountains.[3]

Personality

Thranduil lived in attunement with nature, wearing a crown of flowers, or autumn berries, according to the season, and his banner was, naturally enough, green in colour. He loved the forest though it was dark and dangerous in many parts and enjoyed hunting and feasting among the trees with his people.

Thranduil had his halls underground, partly in memory (it was said) of the mighty but long-lost Menegroth of Doriath. They lay near the Forest River behind great gates.

Etymology

The name Thranduil means "Vigorous spring" in Sindarin, from tharan "vigorous" and tuil "spring". Though the name is said to be of Silvan origin, Tolkien's notes on tharan state it was used only in Sindarin.[4]

Thranduil is referred to as "Elvenking Thranduil", using both his title from The Hobbit and his name from The Lord of the Rings, to accommodate players who have only read The Hobbit. Thranduil first appears in the level "Barrels Out of Bond", in which he can be overheard speaking about the White Council and their attack on Dol Guldur. He returns as a conversation partner in the last level, "The Clouds Burst", in which he and Gandalf ask the player, in the persona of Bilbo, to deliver a message to Bard. No voice actor is specified for this part.